Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do you change my videos to DVD?
A: Lifeboat Media performs all digitization processes on computers. A special piece of computer hardware, commonly referred to as a video capture card, is installed in the computer. This card enables the computer to interpret an incoming analog video signal and make a digital copy of it on the computer's hard drive. A high-quality VCR is attached to the input jacks of the catpure card, and your VHS cassettes are played as the computer "captures" the image and sound.

Q: What software do you use?
A: Lifeboat Media has established a strong partnership with Adobe products to bring you the finest quality in image, video and audio restoration. We utilize Adobe Photoshop for enhancing photographs, Adobe Premiere for editing video, Adobe AfterEffects for creating graphics, Adobe Audition for editing audio, and Adobe Encore for building DVD menus and authoring DVDs. We have also researched which codecs are the best in video conversion.

Q: What is a "codec"?
A: The term "codec" is short for "compress/decompress." A codec is a piece of software that aids in the conversion of analog video to a digital format. The codec works in conjunction with the editing program to output your edited video to a file that is high in both picture and sound quality, in a manageable file size. Good codecs allow the user to adjust where emphasis lies. Lifeboat Media uses the PicVideo MJPEG codec for as many projects as possible, because of its phenomenal quality and outstanding flexibility.

Q: I have a movie on a VHS cassette, and I'd love to have it on DVD. The movie has not been released on DVD. Can you transfer it to DVD for me?
A: Lifeboat Media pledges to vigorously adhere to all copyright laws and regulations. As such, projects in which the copyright to the material in question is owned by someone other than the customer are handled carefully. The law allows Lifeboat Media to provide the customer with one transfer for each copy the customer already owns. In other words, if you have a movie you would like two copies of on DVD, you must provide two copies that you already own.

Q: How do I know if I own the copyright?
A: Generally, this is a simple matter of understanding the meaning of copyright. Basically, if you bought the material in a store or taped it from television, you do not own the copyright. If you created the material yourself, and you have not entered into any contractual agreement with another party regarding the material, you own the copyright (technically, this usually means the material is not copyrighted by anyone, but in most cases, that is pretty much the same as owning the copyright yourself).

Q: I just have a bunch of home movies I want converted to DVD. Am I breaking any copyright laws?
A: No. If you shot the material yourself, and you haven't sold it to anyone else, you can feel free to order as many copies as you like.